StoryFest 2025 Book Giveaways: Ages 9-12

YOU CAN'T WIN IF YOU DON'T PLAY Raam Patel is eager to prove himself ever since he didn't make the middle school's basketball team. So, when Hoop Con comes to town he is determined to be there and take his shot. His big moment proves to be unforgettable... but not in the way he'd hoped. Raam gets schooled by the camp's golden boy right in front of his NBA idol. To make matters even worse, this fail goes viral. Raam is used to being the underdog, but becoming the newest meme might be something even he can't overcome alone. He skips town in an effort to lay low and take a break from basketball. However, he's met with new courts, fresh kicks, and tough new competition, changing his whole outlook on the game. Raam has the skills, but now it's time to unlock the mental game.

Ernesto Cisneros, Pura Belpré Award-winning author of Efrén Divided, is back with a hilarious and heartfelt novel about two best friends who must rely on each other in unexpected ways. A great next pick for readers who loved Ghost by Jason Reynolds or The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Pérez. Isaac and Marco already know sixth grade is going to change their lives. But it won't change things at home--not without each other's help. This year, star basketball player Isaac plans on finally keeping up with his schoolwork. Better grades will surely stop Isaac's parents from arguing all the time. Meanwhile, straight-A Marco vows on finally winning his father's approval by earning a spot on the school's basketball team. But will their friendship and support for each other be enough to keep the two boys from falling short

Grab your Js and hit the court with this Spanish Who Was? biography about NBA superstar Michael Jordan. Coge tus Js y salta a la cancha con esta biografia en espanol de Quien fue? sobre la superestrella de la NBA Michael Jordan. Meet the man who changed the game forever. Michael Jordan has always been competitive--even as a young boy, he fought for attention. His need to be the best made him a star player on his college basketball team and helped him become an NBA legend, both for his skills and his endorsements. His Nike contract for Air Jordan basketball shoes set an unmatched precedent for professional athletes. Author Kirsten Anderson takes readers through each exciting moment, detailing the iconic reverse lay-ups and jump shots of Michael Jordan's storied career. Conoce al hombre que cambi el juego para siempre. Michael Jordan siempre ha sido competitivo, incluso de pequeno luchaba por llamar la atenci n. Su necesidad de ser el mejor lo convirti en un jugador estrella de su equipo de baloncesto universitario y lo ayud a convertirse en una leyenda de la NBA, tanto por sus habilidades como por sus promociones. Su contrato con Nike para las zapatillas de baloncesto Air Jordan sent un precedente inigualable para los atletas profesionales. La autora, Kirsten Anderson, lleva a los lectores a traves de cada momento emocionante, detallando los ic nicos tiros en bandeja bajo el aro y los tiros en suspensi n de la hist rica carrera de Michael Jordan.

In this action-packed illustrated series, four kid gamers meet at a virtual tournament and battle for the ultimate grand prize. Perfect for young fans of Ready Player One and Mr. Lemoncello's Library. Sixty-four teams. One mysterious grand prize. Four gamers determined to win it all. Welcome to Affinity, the hottest battle royale video game in the world! Gamers can be anything they want to be in Affinity's high-tech, magical universe-and test their skills in fierce PvP combat. So when Hurricane Games announces an epictournament with killerprizes, four kids form a team that feels unstoppable . . . but also maybe doomed from the start? Josh is the tank . . . when his parents let him game. Hannah is the melee fighter . . . but she can only play at the public library. Larkin is the healer . . . as long as her family's not around. Wheatley is the ranger . . . with a secret that might wreck the whole team. As solo gamers, they're good. Really good. But the tournament is a whole new level of competition, and it'll take all four of them to bring it home. Can they step up their game in time for the final match?

Skates on. Fangs out. Let's roll. This perfectly paranormal graphic novel about a 13-year-old ice skater who embraces the dark side and finds her light when she joins a vampire roller derby team is to die for. Ice-skater Mina is on a one-track path to Olympic gold and glory--that is, until she totally wipes out at her biggest competition, and is kinda-sorta-kidnapped by undead kids on roller skates. Sucked into the high stakes world of Paranormal Roller Derby, she finds herself "recruited" by a squad of vampires who need a human player to complete their team--just in time to save the league from losing it all. Between learning to play derby well enough to kick butt on the track, crushing hard on the dreamy team captain, and navigating the spooky rules of the supernatural, how can Mina go from striving to be a ten alone, to becoming one of nine chaotic bodies forming a perfectly-imperfect team? Forget being the best. Will she be enough to help her new friends survive the season?